CHAPTER 243: THE OLD MAN’S IDENTITY

For Steve, this was a painful choice. But it was one he had to make.

Just as he was about to give up thinking and focus on finding Bucky first, he suddenly sensed someone approaching. That person had picked up the shield he left on the nearby bench.

Whether it was an enemy or a fan, anyone touching his shield usually ended up giving him a headache. So he turned around quickly, ready to stop them.

But when he looked back, he saw that the one behind him was neither a threat nor an overenthusiastic admirer. It was an elderly man wearing a baseball cap. His wrinkled, exposed fingers made his age obvious.

At this moment, the old man was gently running his hand along the surface of the shield, as if he was remembering something.

That gesture wasn’t unfamiliar to Steve. He had seen it before. It was the same look some World War I veterans had when they saw weapons or uniforms they once used. A quiet, distant nostalgia. They weren’t missing the war itself. They were thinking of the comrades they’d lost.

"Sir..."

Realizing the man was likely a veteran, Steve didn’t try to take the shield back. He sat down beside him on the bench and asked softly, "You recognize this shield?"

"Recognize it?"

The old man gave a faint smile.

"I know it all too well. I didn’t expect to ever see such a finely crafted piece. Back in the day, this shield protected a lot of soldiers charging into battle. It also made a man into a legend."

Indeed, it had protected many lives, but many had also fallen on that battlefield.

No matter what, Steve could never save everyone in the war. Although he had made full use of his enhanced body, becoming a brave warrior, a skilled tactician, and a capable commander, the war was not stopped because of him alone.

He had been shaped into a hero, but he knew that it was the combined effort of countless soldiers that brought victory and crushed the Nazi regime. If not for their relentless struggle, forcing the enemy into a corner, he wouldn’t have been able to eliminate Hydra’s threat either.

He just stood out among the others because he was a super soldier. That was why people remembered him.

In reality, he never thought his contribution during the war was that much greater than that of any regular soldier.

"But I heard that man has returned. And now, he’s a hero again."

While Steve was thinking, the old man continued speaking.

"Awakened after half a century, only to find that almost all his friends are gone... even if he keeps smiling confidently in front of people, inside, he must still feel lost."

Steve’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t expected it. It was one thing for someone like Peggy to understand him, but for a stranger he met by chance on the street to see through him so clearly was surprising.

"Then, sir," he asked tentatively, "what do you think he should do? How can he truly adapt to this world?"

He had a feeling that maybe this person held the answer he had been searching for.

But the old man let out a soft scoff, almost as if he found the question laughable.

"Adapt? Why should he adapt to this world? He’s a soldier. A warrior who isn’t made for politics. He’s a strategist, not a diplomat. The more he tries to adapt, the more this world will become something he can’t accept."

Steve carried immense influence, but he wasn’t the one in control of society. Therefore, his retreat and attempts to go along with things would just strengthen people like Luthor and Fury: forces capable of reshaping the world into something he couldn’t live with.

It may sound extreme, but Steve knew it was the truth.

"He only needs to remember who he is. That’s enough."

The old man stopped stroking the shield.

"Remember what’s right. Remember justice. Remember freedom. Don’t long for the past just because times have changed."

As he spoke, he raised the shield and handed it back to Steve.

"Be yourself. That’s the best version of Captain America."

"...Be myself..."

Steve paused, then smiled. A smile of clarity and relief. Yes. There was no need to keep struggling with uncertainty. Deep down, he had already made his decision about what was right and what was wrong.

When it came to LexCorp and Vought, the right choice was to stay away. To simply watch this era unfold from the shadows. If they ever started to shift in the wrong direction, then he would step in and stop them. But handing over his influence as Captain America to LexCorp would only increase the chances of them drifting further away from the people.

As for Tony and Bucky, that answer had been in his heart all along.

No matter the reason, Bucky had attacked the Starks. Maria died on the spot, and Howard passed away in silence a few years later. That was a fact. No excuse could ever wash away that guilt.

What he should have been thinking about wasn’t how to defend Bucky, but how to help Tony find the man as fast as possible so that his friend could atone for what he had done.

Even if forgiveness was possible, it wasn’t his place to grant it on Tony’s behalf.

From the very beginning, there was never a need to hesitate. His sense of justice, his moral compass, had already given him the solution. It was just the fifty-year gap that had clouded his judgment, making him feel a trace of personal emotion for his old friend; an emotion that should never have gotten in the way.

He could plead for Bucky, but he never had the right to forgive him for Tony.

"Thank you, sir."

With a clear heart, Steve slipped Fury’s card into his pocket, while his other hand clutched Tony’s card tightly.

* * *

Steve left, but the old man remained seated on the bench, gazing out at the river, silently waiting. Because he knew the moment he made contact with Steve, he would no longer be able to hide from that person’s sight.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before someone appeared and sat down beside him.

The man wore a black tailcoat, white gloves, and had an upright posture. He looked just like Alfred, but was much younger.

"To be honest, I didn’t expect this. The timeline was supposed to be closed."

Reid gave a bitter smile.

He had known there was a chance this man might exist. He had even investigated it. But what he hadn’t expected was that the man’s ability to conceal himself was so effective that even he had been fooled.

"You spent a lifetime with Carter. Looks like that kind of life truly satisfied you, didn’t it... Steve?"

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